My Recent Reads: June-December 2022
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Hello, reader friends! Just shy of the year ending, I present to you everything I’ve read since June. An entire half year’s worth of books. It’s a lot, I know. For you to read, but also for me to write. An avoidable problem, if I wrote more frequent and hence shorter posts. Admittedly, 2022 has been a poor year of blogging for me. To make it worse, so was 2021, putting me squarely in the frustrated writers’ category for 2 years running. I can only blame myself and my time management struggles for leaving my poor writer’s heart wanting.💔 As a fix, I have sincerely resolved to make writing here a priority in the new year, and have since sincerely resolved to keep that resolve about 600 times already. For now, I hope you can read this compendium of books with patience, and in bite-sized revisits if needed!
Any kind of recap immediately sends me into a reflective state of mind, and because it’s been 6 months since June, thinking through these books has amounted to thinking through the second half of the year itself. The Summer and Fall of ‘22 will forever be the seasons we resumed our long-paused era of international travel, and I will always associate with a fair chunk of these books soul-satisfying vacation memories in Mexico, Turkey and Jordan. The latter half of the list have been a source of comfort and escapism to me as I’ve learned to navigate some unforeseen personal challenges in the last couple of months, as one periodically does in this journey of life. And needless to say, every single one has been witness to a nightly release of the respective day’s emotions, be it happy or sad or in between the two in the firm grey zone of meh-ness.
As you borrow titles from here for your TBR lists or think about your own thoughts and emotions surrounding the titles we share in common on our reading lists, I hope they invite happier reflections than not, positive insights than not, constructive learnings than otherwise. Happy reading, and happy reflecting on 2022!
1. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Couldn’t find anyone to root for until the very end, but other than that, I quite liked this thriller! A young woman with issues gets a dog-walking job in an affluent neighborhood, and quickly finds a path to becoming a legitimate member of the community. Cracks start to appear in her suddenly perfect life when secrets begin surfacing, including a major one under her own roof. Fast paced and keeps you guessing!
2. Mean Baby by Selma Blair
I knew nothing about Selma Blair going into this except that she’s the other girl in Legally Blonde, and yet, this may be one of my favorite memoirs now. The star-studded Hollywood tales are only a small reason why, and I mostly love it for Blair’s disarming honesty and candid vulnerability. She really does lay it all out and takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery that is moving & inspirational.
3. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
A touching tribute to the misfits of the world, Emezi includes perspectives from the family, friends, and lovers of Vivek Oji, along with the voice of the title character’s own sensitive and unique voice, as they navigate learning the truth about his sexuality leading up to and following after his death. Conservatism and generational gaps feature in this coming-of-age story with a tragic end.
4. Luster by Raven Leilani
It was a shaky start for me with this book, and I self-admittedly took a little time to leave my judgement behind and meet the protagonist in the raw, authentic, brutally honest mindspace she occupies. In hindsight, I appreciate the discomfort Leilani forces the reader to work through to face the absorbed narratives shaping their opinions. Trigger warnings: sexual abuse, mental health disorders.
5. Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe
Patrick Radden Keefe writes some of the best non-fiction I’ve read (Say Nothing), and thanks to my non-fiction reader husband, I was able to get my hands on his latest release. Rogues is a fascinating, fun collection of interesting characters from around the globe that have subverted political & legal systems for personal reward. Some of the stories are truly mind-boggling and had me questioning the world we live in, but what’s new about that? 😅
6. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
A multigenerational saga that connects the past and present for a family that thought it knew itself, this book tells a rich story with twists and turns along the way. I found myself wishing that the childrens’ POVs were a little stronger, but beyond that, I so enjoyed this layered drama-meets-suspense with its eponymous Caribbean roots!
7. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
There’s a healthy sprinkling of Emily Henry rom-coms across Recent Reads for a reason- every single one of them is cheesy, sappy, happy-endings-only goodness and I can never not use one of those in my life! This title was especially fun given that the protagonists are… well, book lovers… and hence, relatable. 😬 Proceed to read for an oxytocin boost!
8. Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
Going down as one of my 2022 favorites and a book that I constantly think about, I could write pages about it and do no justice. Huge credit to Kukafka for being the kind of masterful writer that has the reader not just walk in the shoes of a depraved, damaged, death row protagonist, but to do so while holding empathy. A must read, even if dark, macabre and uncomfortable.
9. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
I loved In Five Years so very much, it’s been a countdown since to Serle’s new book! A fun Italian escape of a read, although I mistakenly assumed it’d be a romance and it isn’t. Well, it isn’t as much of one in the conventional sense, but more so captures love for a beloved parent and Positano. I have now promised myself that I’ll one day make like Katy and enjoy an idyllic Hotel Poseidon breakfast… le sigh.❤️
10. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
It seemed fitting to read Turkey’s most renowned female author while in Turkey, although I only managed to finish it well after returning from the jam-packed travel schedule. I can see why Shafak is revered- her writing transports to a time and place during the Cypriot War in an intimate way. I feel grateful for what I learned about the lives of people then through her characters, and also for the many wise lessons of the fig tree. 🌳
11. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
LOVED! It felt as though Nina’s character, albeit fictional, articulated all of my highly specific, as yet unsaid but constantly percolating thoughts as a 30-something woman- the nature of evolving female friendships, the fragility of aging parents’ health, the dichotomy of knowing who I am and not knowing who I want to end up being. If these themes resonate, I recommend reading!
12. Nora Goes Off-Script by Annabel Monaghan
Just a fun, escapist romance for your stressed out brain! A romance writer mom hosts a film crew shooting the movie adaptation of her very own book in her very own home, and a fairy tale romance ensues with the moody but charming and famous lead actor. I mean… if the plot isn’t cheesy enough for you, the book will be!
13. Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
Wouldn’t recommend, wouldn’t not recommend. 🤷🏽♀️ I thought the premise was actually quite intriguing for a thriller, but reading it, I couldn’t quite warm up to Helen, and everyone and everything felt a bit dry. If the pace didn’t pick up towards the end and didn’t include the red herring that it did, there would be nothing to talk about.
14. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
Undoubtedly a 2022 favorite and also definitely an all time favorite romance- I will NEVER get over this book. 😭 I’d seen and shrugged at the many readers I follow on IG crossing into Idea of You cult fandom over the last few years, but shrug I will no more. 100% a fanatic myself now, I’m waiting for the movie to come out so I can bawl in the company of a full movie theater this time around. Also, team Hayes = HS forever. 🫶🏽 #IYKYK
15. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
A wolf rewilding project in Scotland intertwines with the suspenseful personal struggles of the central character, and its all told in a beautifully intimate, nature-centric narration. It’s dark reading, but why wouldn’t it be when McConaghy’s books center around the drastic effects of climate change.💔 Migrations is her first and next on my list!
16. Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Not my favorite TJR book, probably because I have not one competitive bone in my body and hence, related not even a little bit to the tennis pro POVs.😅 Sports fans and athletes will enjoy very much! I, on the other hand, will take a Daisy Jones or an Evelyn Hugo any day.
17. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
I had to wait on a ~3625 day hold to get my hands on this book at my library and when I did, can I be honest and say that it was a bit of a letdown? Writing wise, I loved Verity so much more! While it saddened me to learn that Hoover based the plot on her own parents’ story, the way it tackled domestic abuse lacked true depth for me personally.
18. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Speculative science fiction at its finest! After loving The Glass Hotel a few years ago, I’d anticipated more clever writing from her, but this exceeded even my own high expectations. Deftly and ingeniously linking timelines across a 500 year span, the novel set my imagination alight with visions of 1912 Canada and 2045 moon colonies alike. A 2022 fave and deserving of its Goodreads win for ‘22’s best Sci Fi!
19. Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
One of the better thrillers I’ve read in a while, although it does belong in the horror genre for me with its supernatural leanings. It does succeed in creating a sinister setup, and although it felt a bit YA in parts literarily, the plot build-up kept me at the edge of my seat the whole way. Loved the effect of the illustrations, they took it to the next level!
20. Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
I kept putting this book off for fear of not being ready for a COVID novel yet, but I should have known to trust Jodi Picoult to do an artful job of writing one. The mid-way twist truly got me, and I found the characters voices and their perspectives on art, love, and life itself to be handled with beautiful sensitivity and nuance. Also, the Galapagos moved up a notch on my wishlist.😍
21. The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
The fourth title on this list that makes the cut for my 2022 favorites! A very Black Mirror/Severance-esque technology allowing memory and consciousness externalization is at the heart of the book, but what makes it is really the inventiveness with which Egan has each chapter be a different POV. Rather than the confusion of a poorly executed ensemble cast, the characters here give life to a fascinating network of connected individuals. Read it!
22. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Because I want to end the year on a lighter note and make room for my own possibly heavy reflections, I’ve been losing myself in this well recommended romance at nights. It gave me very The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes, complete with the teenage angst. Young love on the lake in the summer- what’s not to like?!
That’s a wrap on 2022 reading! I’m hopeful that I can put together a personal best of 2022 list around the new year, so stay tuned for that.🥰
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all who celebrated! We snuggled at home and caught some beach time this past weekend, before starting out on a short getaway with friends this week. Regardless of what your plans were/are, I hope it includes rest and relaxation with loved ones.❤️
Wishing you a great wrap to the year, and as always, thank you for reading!
XO Sushmitha :)
